Albanese to Visit Brunei, Malaysia for Fuel and Supply Chain Talks

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Brunei and Malaysia from April 14 to 17, as Australia steps up diplomatic efforts to secure fuel and fertiliser supplies amid mounting global uncertainty.

The visits come as Australia remains heavily dependent on imports, sourcing around 90 percent of its liquid fuel needs from overseas—leaving it exposed to price shocks and supply disruptions.

Albanese is scheduled to arrive in Brunei on April 14, where he will meet Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Brunei currently supplies 9 percent of Australia’s diesel imports and 11 percent of fertiliser-grade urea, while Australia exports a significant share of food and agricultural products to the Southeast Asian nation.

The prime minister will then head to Malaysia for talks with his counterpart Anwar Ibrahim. Discussions will centre on securing fuel and other critical goods between the two countries.

Malaysia plays a key role in Australia’s energy mix, as the country’s third-largest source of refined fuel and a supplier of around 10 per cent of fertiliser-grade urea imports.

In return, Australia supplies 95 percent of Malaysia’s imported natural gas.

“We are taking every step to reinforce relationships and engage with key partners to keep our fuel supply flowing,” Albanese said.

“Engaging with critical regional partners such as Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia will help ensure Australia’s energy supply remains secure during times of uncertainty.”

During the four-day trip, Albanese will be joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, who will later travel separately for meetings with counterparts in Singapore.

The regional push follows recent engagements with China and Singapore, as Canberra seeks to secure additional fuel shipments amid the ongoing Iran conflict.

Coalition Pushes Domestic Fuel Options

The government’s strategy has drawn criticisms from the Opposition, which argues the response remains reactive and lacks a long-term plan to strengthen domestic energy resilience.

Senator Susan McDonald called on the government to release a national fuel supply dashboard detailing daily shortages, stock levels, import risks and storage capacity, saying Australians “need certainty, not PR spin.”

Shadow Energy Minister Dan Tehan also urged Labor to revisit domestic fossil fuel development, including coal-to-liquid technology to produce diesel and petrol locally.

“We should look at coal-to-liquid fuel. We should look at drilling for oil,” he told Sky News Australia.

Tehan argued environmental laws should be amended to fast-track projects he says are critical to strengthening Australia’s long-term fuel security.